Lyric Opera House installs new seating during COVID-19 closures

CHICAGO -- Chicago's Lyric Opera House is among the major opera houses in the world.

It is a treasure for the city, but the stage has been quiet during the pandemic.

They've cancelled the spring season as well as the fall season, but there is still a lot of activity going on.

They are taking advantage of the time off to make major renovations to the house.

RELATED: New seats are waiting for audiences to return at Lyric Opera House

They are replacing all of the seats for the first time in several decades.

In the process they say it will improve sight lines without sacrificing the building's exquisite acoustics.

The Lyric got input from audience members for months before embarking on the project.

Originally they planned to cram the work in during the summer between shows.

When COVID-19 hit, they were forced to cancel the entire season, which allowed them to do the work during what would normally be the fall season.

The old seats look pretty similar to the new ones but they are now more comfortable, durable and roomier. Now the are just waiting to let audiences try them out.